Munster v Leinster….But Not As You Know It

Parc50 will host its first interprovincial derby tonight but not quite as you know it. When the fixture list was published earlier in the year, there was a gaping hole in the middle of the summer which was of big concern to us. You can build up momentum through Benelux but with a three month gap (in the best months to be playing!!) before the Pan-Euros, you might as well be starting from scratch when they role around.

We discussed setting up a kind of 7’s interclub league but as numbers grew rapidly during the year, the potential for four full panels became a possibility. We’ve split up the group into four teams as a result; Munster, Leinster, Dublin and Connaught with slight adjustments to even out the teams.

The games will be played on a league basis (2 * 20 min halves) over four nights, with the finals taking place on July 20 and followed by presentations of cups and medals. The idea has gathered a serious head of steam and all the talk now amongst the lads is about team selections and shcalps!

We’ve had a few in-house games earlier in the year and they proved to be very worthwhile exercises with fellas really getting stuck in. With the European season stretching from January training through to the final Pan-E round in November, it can be difficult to keep guys interested. In that sense, this will be invaluable.

Another benefit of it is we can attract new players and also lure other lads who may have drifted or been injured, back into the fray. The action kicks off tonight with Munster v Leinster and Dublin v Connaught.

Volunteerism

How we love heralding all that’s great about the G.A.A. We could speak for hours to those on the outside about the passion, the commitment and the loyalty that the sense of club and community the Association evokes. One of the jewels in the crown is the volunteer movement. All those members working away behind the scenes, not for the thanks they will get but for the inner joy they feel as the club they help nurture grows and grows.

‘All done on a voluntary basis’. A sentence with such meaning to so many. In truth though, the best bit about it is telling people about it. If you are the one standing on top of a van at 06h30 in the morning, loading goalposts on to a roof rack that had never envisaged such a shipment, you probably wouldn’t think it was so sexy.

A European tournament probably brings this ideal out more than most activities at club level. The amount of work that goes into the organisation is unimaginable. Right from the start, when you have to try and find pitches, through to the end when you hand over the cash to the restaurant at the end of the tournament, it’s incredible.

On Saturday, there were three ladies teams and six men’s teams from all over Europe; around 120 players or so. That’s 120 bananas, bottles of sports drink, bars of chocolate, sandwiches, energy bars and 300 litres of water. There’s also three tents, the Red Cross, two sets of goalposts (to be transported from Brussels to Leuven on top of a Hiace), bundles of sliotars and hurleys, a shop to sell refreshments, money to be collected, mini bus to ferry teams from the train to the pitch, two referees to be accommodated and surely much much more.

It’s not finished then though as you move onto the evening function. A restaurant needs to be found to give a three course mean within the €20 budget. Money collected again, trophies handed out, speeches made, tabs settled and then, maybe then, beer can be drunk! It’s an incredible operation and it happens most weekends of the spring and summer all over Europe. The pain for the organisation committee is significant but the satisfaction must be its equal.

I’m not the best at committee related things so can’t take the credit for getting the big tent ready for the big occasion but I fully appreciate how much work goes in. It is the strength of the G.A.A. and the trait required in your member’s if your club will succeed. Sean Kelly walked the talk in Leuven earlier this year when, dressed up in his suit, he was seen on his knees, helping disassemble the tents late in the evening. Fortunately our club members have it too and their organisation of this year’s tournaments did us proud.

A's Dig Deep Whilst B's Announce Arrival With Bang

European Hurling has been on its knees in the last 18 months. As we surged up the ranks, others have fallen away and struggled to keep the show on the road. Ourselves, Lux and Den Haag are dual clubs and it's very difficult to be competitive in both over a sustained period of time. However, in Luxembourg a few weeks ago, Hurling looked to be finding its feet again and we saw its revival progress last Saturday with six teams participating in our home tournament.

Belgium A lined up against Zurich and Paris whilst Belgium B squared up against Den Hague and Luxembourg in the group of death! It was another first for Euro G.A.A..as Belgium fielded a second team. It was no patchwork either as established players like Corkmen Dominic King & Daire Cott led other A team regulars like Adrian & Ciaran into action. They were joined by many a club stalwarth in the form of Enda Rice, Conan MacOscair and club trainer Martin Crowley.

Whilst the A's laboured unimpressively through the group games, the B's were demonstrating the dogged qualities required. An impressive Hague side were kept within reaching distance until late on when they forced a couple of goals to seal victory. A semi-final appearance would be the reward for the winners of the final group game against Lux. Liam Kelly rained balls down on top of our full forward line and Daire Cott accepted them graciously, dispatching enough of them to the net to claim an historic victory. Conan MacOscar showed his quality too with a mighty goal and point. Dominic covered every blade of grass as well as taking and giving punishment freely.

This mean't an A v B semi-final. The temperature had breached the 30 degree mark at this stage and bodies were beginning to tire. Knowing the attacking dangers which existed in the B team, the A's were certainly not overconfident. And they were right not to be as only a goal and a point separated the sides mid way through the second half. In the end, the B team’s resistance was worn done and again it was a couple of late goals which sealed their fate. However, like the football a couple of weeks ago, there was no need for talk of moral victories. In defeating Lux, they had slayed a team with high standing in European hurling and the semi-final performance was not just a respectable display but a full blown challenge to the Champions elect.

So the A's marched on to their 10th final in a row, seeking their 9th victory on the trot. As well as the possibility to win the Belgium Tournament cup, the European Hurling Championship would be put beyond the reach of everyone else with a win. Den Hague were formidable opposition though and had their strongest panel for some time. There was a feeling throughout the day that we had become a little complacent and arrogant because of recent successes and it was now creeping into our play. We didn't want to be branded with that tag but lifting ourselves had been difficult through the day. Crusher was missing and it is times like this that you need a fella like that. He is our captain and you just have to watch his fearless style of play to inspire you to get your act together.

It has been hard to keep going through this year as some of the tournaments have been won relatively easily. Winning is great but it’s the satisfaction that comes with it that you really want. Only in one or two tournaments did we have that feeling in the last 8 wins and so it has been hard to keep guys motivated. As I said earlier though, Hurling is slowly bouncing back and we needed to be sure we recognised that before someone ambushed us.

The first half was a tight and tense affair. The small pitches in europe mean if the keeper has a big puck then it will land in around the house virtually every time. As a result, much of the game was contested between our full back line of myself and Jim, our opposing markers and at the other end Eoin and Daire (who moved up from the B's for the final) with their markers. The first half was free for free and i think the score stood somewhere around 0-5 to 0-4 in our favour at half-time.

We flew out of the blocks in the second half though and when Daire picked up possession out on the wing, we all shouted point but he showed his class and know how to put the head down for goal. That put us on track and we never really looked back. In defence, Conor Magner and Conchur de Barra dominated the exchanges in the half-back line. One of the big differences between the teams was our backs ability to clear their lines whereas Den Hague struggled thanks to the pressure from the likes or Fergal and Dominic. Shane and Pearce's fitness was a telling factor too as they had plenty of energy left in their legs. We pulled away towards the death which gave a scoreline not fully reflective of the battle.

So with victory we retained both our home tournament trophy and most importantly the European Cup will remain in Brussels for another year. It was an important win and a good reflection on Martin's efforts to keep things moving along. Our team had a big turnover from last year and when you think that Willie, Emmett, Dec, Aidan, Eoghan Kelly and no doubt one or two i've forgotten, haven't hurled this year, it is an achievement worth noting.

Another significant one was our girl’s victory. They have been the most consistently committed camogie team in the last few years but had no success to back it up. I wrote last week about it being a season of nearlies and their captain Sylvia sent me a mail basically saying that was going to change on Saturday. She was good to her word and led by example by playing in goal to help her team out. They marched impressively to victory and the benefit of Olga's coaching was blatantly obvious and great to see. They deserve their victory not only for their skill on Saturday but for their never ending commitment to train and travel through all the bad days they have had to endure.

Well done to all on a fantastic day for the club.

Championship Glory In Sight

Hurling time this weekend out in Leuven with the third (of four) round of the European Hurling Championship. Victory would see us put back-to-back Championships together and secure the first major piece of silverware of 2010 as well as our home tournament trophy.

There will be a record number of teams participating; Lux, Hague, Paris, Zurich, a team of US soldiers (!) and for the first time, two Belgium teams. We hear The Hague are travelling with big numbers so that indicates some intent from their side. They have the best spread of hurlers in the opposing teams and will be a threat if they come tuned in. Lux gave us a big scare in the group the last day and that performance combined with their football showing a couple of weeks ago demonstrates a strong spirit in that camp.

Motivation wise it has been a tough year for the hurling because of the manner of last year's victory and this year's wins to date. The margins have been big and whilst that's not good for the game in Europe in general, we were on the wrong end of enough of those defeats for long enough so should be enjoying dining at the top table while we are there. You can be sure things will swing in the future.

As I mentioned, we have two teams for the first time this weekend and that's another positive step forward for us. We've been fortunate to get enough new lads in this year to replace those departures from last year and this weekend we look forward to the long over due debut of former inter-county 'star' Jim McGrath. He says he has donned the county colours with three teams; Tipp U-16, Tipp over-40's (he is still in his mid-twenties) and he was part of the Cavan Senior panel when stationed up there. His presence will be a boost considering captain Crusher and forward talisman Michael Hough will be missing.

The weather will be approaching 30 degrees out in Leuven so the ball should travel nice and crisply and make for good fast games. Our ladies are also in action and similarly, they also have a bumper fixture list. They have had a season of nearlies so far. They should have won in The Hague and they could have won in Lux. New coach Olga is doing great work with them this year with a strong focus on improving their skills. Numbers are booming so a victory on Saturday would provide a great boost.

Backward Step Forward

Corner backs are some of the most underrated players on a team. Obviously I think this because I come out of that school. We hail our corner forwards as the marquee players but look down our noses at those tasked with marking them. I’ve written before about how i spent my days in Kinsale swapping between #2 and #4. Depending on the day and the size and speed of an opponent, either myself, Mick Sull or Lyndon would be dispatched to do a job.

It’s a pressure place to play because of the proximity to your own goal and mentally you have to stay tuned in for long periods even when you don’t have the ball. Also, you don’t get the opportunity to express yourself as a footballer, certainly not at club level where you are practically solely allocated to defensive duties.

With that time behind me in Kinsale, I took advantage of my team selection role and gave myself a roving wing forward slot in Belgium. I like to point out that I made my adult debut as a wing forward for Kinsale against Ballincollig though and scored a point with my first touch. An injury to Brian Kelly ten minutes later saw me move back to corner back and I stayed in that dungeon for the next 7 years.

We had a severe lack of forwards in Belgium back then so I could get away with my role picking up ball, moving it on and covering ground. No- a-days though we have forwards who want to kick the ball over the bar so I’ve had to stop the bluffing and revert back to old habits.

Throughout the Benelux series I’ve more often than not started from wing-back and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Backs are a different breed and playing alongside the likes of Crusher, The Fridge, Burkee, Paul Gavin and Hudson puts the fire in the belly and the competition drives you on.

Facing the ball always suited me better, in whatever sport I played. You can see your destination and think out the next play before the ball arrives. Also, you have scope to go forward and cause havoc on the overlap. No forward likes chasing an overzealous defender.

With all these young fellas streaming in, my days may be numbered so I’m already preparing for a further step backwards. Lately, mainly to give our goalkeeper Timmy an opportunity to play outfield, I’ve occasionally put on the keepers jerseys. I’ve done it plenty of times in hurling and enjoyed it a lot. Football wouldn’t be the same because the nature of the position in the big ball game isn’t as edge of the cliff kind of stuff. Still, one must always plan for the move towards retirement and it’s there that I may find my final resting place!

Overnight Hero

Liam Kelly arrived down to Luxembourg with car full of lads sound asleep, oblivious to the fact they were in a soon to be legend’s company. By 17h that day, after he had punched his fists in the air after his final point of the tournament, his status was secured. When he finally opened the door of 1898 that night, the crowds thronged to him like hungry autograph hunters. Not bad for a man who at 37 probably thought he was in the twilight of his career.

The Clareman stands at six foot sixish and could easily be mistaken as a style icon with his white tennis socks and tight pink shorts. As tight as the shorts are on him though, Crusher correctly points out that they’d be pants on the rest of us! He paid his membership on Monday and pleaded with me to replace them with the standard kit. Normally I’m quite strict on having the right gear but in this case I don’t want to be responsible for watering down an icon’s status.

As often happens, Liam and Belgium G.A.A. merged their paths over a few pints. He overheard the Irish accents in the Hairy one night and wasn’t slow in trying to get in on the craic. He followed Crusher, Colin, Jane & Co over to The Fauberg (spelling?!) and the rest as they say, is history.

We had seen him in bursts in the last couple of months and were aware he could be a handful from his training cameos. He lined out with the C team in Leuven and threw his weight around to good effect. It was against Crokes two weeks ago that he showed his true worth though and it was a must to get him signed up for Luxembourg.

There was an amusing exchange (although it only became amusing later) between myself and Hudson early in the game against the B’s. Eoin had instructed Colin to lie deep for and sweep up ball before launching it down on top of the big man. That made Burkee the free man and I decided to employ him as a sweeper in front of Liam, thinking our forwards would cover enough ground to pressure Colin Byrne’s distribution. It was the only game in which Liam was kept scoreless.

Hudson was the man marking Liam and when I instructed Burkee to lie deep, Ciaran turned around and as only he can do, very matter of factly told me that he disagreed. It’s not worth roaring at him because it would barely ruffle a feather on him so I didn’t react. Later he quite honestly told me it was because he didn’t fancy trying to combat the awkward customer that Liam would prove later in the day.
When we all arrived back to Brussels on Saturday night we headed for Caragh’s 3oth.

All anyone seemed to want to know was if Liam was coming out. When the door’s swung open, fellas nudged and pointed as if they were about to be greeted by a superstar. He lapped up the attention for the night and reports suggest he was at the heart of the sing song long after the sun had come up outside.
A hero has been born.

Old School

The influx of newcomers this year led to people joking about the club being split into ‘old school’ and ‘new school’. Of course there is no split but now it’s just unmanageable for everyone to socialise as one all the time because there is no pub in Brussels that could deal with the mayhem!!

There’s a few heads around the place that would certainly be defined as old school though. Paul Gavin is one of them. He walked a lonely path in Brussels five or six years ago. Gaelic was his passion but with no team, soccer become his game. We knew little of each other before he left but through mutual friends we got to know each other some bit after.

He’s still in the progress of sorting everything out with regard apartments etc after his move back from Den Hague but he did play with us in our home tournament. He missed last weekend but we ran into him at Caragh’s 30th birthday party on Saturday night. Even though he won his European medals up in Holland, he experienced a lot of bad days too. The topic of our conversation revolved around how to get the guys to really appreciate the spell we are having because it won’t last forever. Each win should be savoured was the message.

It will be great to have him on board fully from here on because he has a lot to offer both on and off the pitch. Another guy cut from the same cloth is Enda Rice. Stoking his interest back in 2008 was key to our development. Enda was also an FC Irlande stalwart but he was bit by the bug and commanded our midfield. He turns 38 shortly but the only thing that gives it away is how he reads the game so well.

Between squash and a bit of injury, he hasn’t being going full tilt yet this year and in the Leuven tournament he had a restricted role. The intensity of the competition for places meant that Enda moved to the B team for the first time last weekend. I guessed he would understand and go and play with the same commitment as always and be his cheery self on the outside at least. He did the first bit but it was clear he was hurt from his demeanour.

It’s not like Enda to be like that but it really shows there is still plenty of life in the old dog. I used wonder if he only played because I harass him to do so but after our exchange at the weekend, I realise the competitive instinct is still there. Of course, he agreed that there were guys knocking who deserved to be let in and that someone was going to be the fall guy but pride is pride. I sense his reaction will be an example to all though. He is that kind of guy. There is no doubt in my mind that getting a full tournament last weekend will be of great benefit to him and that if the A team are to be successful this year, Enda will be to the fore.

The last man in this illustrious club is Emmett Devine. The 2008 captain and myself became great friends on that maiden voyage in ‘08, even if it’s difficult to maintain it now given our different lifestyles. Emmett was a fantastic choice as captain because you need the kind of drive that man has if you want to drag yourselves up off the ground to compete.

He left Rennes last year in a cast and has struggled to get right since. We had lunch at his workplace a couple of weeks ago and had a good chat about him coming back. I’d expect to see him back in the coming weeks and then lining himself up for a crack at the half-back line in the Pan-Euros. It’s only lately I’ve moved back to the half backs and the prospect of lining up alongside him would be a real bonus.

By coincidence these three lads would all be good buddies. Before most of us were in Brussels they were playing together for FCI and throwing back pints on Saturday afternoons. The presence of guys like that is what gives a team it’s soul. The lads may see these new guys arriving on the scene but these three are our pillars and as long as they know that and keep standing at the starting line, we’ll continue to progress.

Fulfilment

I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfilment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle-victorious.
Vince Lombardi

Where to start? How to be brief? Very difficult. In the end we travelled with two teams, having left some willing lads back at base. The A team had a fresh look to it with the likes of Pearce, The Fridge and Shane Ryan being drafted in whilst the B team were reinforced with regular A stalwarts like Colin Byrne, Kevin Keary and Enda Rice, along with a host of others auditioning for a promotion.

Eoin Sheanon put his hand up to take the line for the B team for the day and felt his experience could guide them successfully through the day. Up first was a derby against the A team and it didn’t go well. As you will read later, the B’s are better than they performed in that opening game and it’s to their credit that the heads didn’t drop after defeat.

They regrouped quickly to play Lux B/Liberty Lads in the make or break game. Win and they were most likely through to the semi. Lose and they would be clutching at straws for a moral victory. The Liberty Lads portion of the opposition were seasoned and capable but the Belgians game plan was simple and effective.

A true maverick was born down there on Saturday. 37 year old Liam Kelly was the one dimensional game plan and he was to the B’s what Aisake was to the Cork Hurlers a couple of weeks ago. Give him a ball, any ball, and he seemed to gets those big paws on it. It rained down on him all day long.

It was his ability to create havoc that led to Ollie’s decisive goal which allowed a deserved victory, backed up by some serious defensive resistance. The final act summed it up as a long free into the opposition target man was snuffed out by Shane Griffen. It wasn’t a glamorous tackle, more one where he said; if I’m not getting the ball then neither are you.

On to the semi-final they marched for the first time. There waiting was Den Hague. The lads may have caved after conceding a goal so early but with a strong core of steady heads they fought on. They were rewarded with a flurry of points but in the end, the strength of Den Hague shone true. Still the performance was a marked improved from the opening defeat against Belgian A and was a true reflection of their standard.

That left them with a 3rd/4th place playoff against Lux A. I have few details as we were preparing for the final but a 0-4 to 0-2 victory was a fantastic result. I know this because the A team were haunted to beat them in the semi-final. If ever a team has demonstrated persistence and perseverance and fantastic attitude then it has been our B team. They sail in rough waters in Benelux but they raised their mast high on Saturday and got their reward. 3rd place in Benelux is no mean feat.

Back to the A team and they negotiated the group without too much stress. The time was rotated constantly and everyone was kept fresh. However, we had flagged a couple of concerns prior to the semi against Lux A. One was David Collins. He was in injury trouble after the first game and wasn’t fit to start. We also knew Lux would be absolutely bulling. Winners of their home tournament for something like eight years in a row, we expected an almighty onslaught.

Shane Ryan gave us the perfect start with a well taken goal but Lux just kept hammering away at us. They swarmed every possession and we couldn’t get the ball away. When we attacked, we field hard done by as the tackling on Eoin was questionable to say the least. We were getting no change out of the decisions.

Pearce was unlucky to be pulled off but we needed James O’Dowd’s placed ball skills and he quickly tacked on 1-1 before half-time. We couldn’t shake the, through the second half until Collins made one last gallop from the bench to kick the all important score. We survived and went through to the final.

We’ve a lot of smart players in the panel and we put a positive spin on the game. We’d survived a massive battle and got a huge wake-up call. Den Hague surely wouldn’t have any more to throw at us.

Because of the turnover of players and the lack of regularity with which a lot of guys can train, we don’t spend too much time on tactics. However, the conditioned games we play focus on movement off the ball, changing direction of play etc. Through that you hope guys will get the right habits in their game.

There were a couple of times on Saturday were guys got the heads up and switch the play with a cross field ball and we got scores out of it. It’s great when it happens. For fear of releasing the rest of our tactics to the European G.A.A. world, I won’t elaborate here. However, it’s fair to say that Olof, Diarmuid, Johnny and Shane were all give specific jobs at some point on Saturday and their application to them was excellent.

I expected another tough tussle against Den Hague in the final. We changed the team slightly. The Fridge, out only ever present on the day, retained his wing-back spot alongside James O’Dowd who was given an unusually withdrawn role. Crusher and Burkee were like the might midgets inside in the full-back line.

I lined up midfield alongside Johnny. It may seem a bizarre call but the 11-a-side game allows for it as it’s harder to isolate the small man on the big man. Olof and Diarmuid took the half-forward spots with Jim and Eoin inside. I remember little of the detail of the final except that we conceded a very bad goal early on. By half-time we had recovered to lead by a point. On into the second half and we were full of energy. James O’Dowd was dying to get forward and our backs were rugged and unforgiving.

Sheanon’s jersey was held virtually the entire game and that reduced our attacking prowess but the rest of us had to stand-up. Myself and Johnny addes to a Jim point but we never managed to put clear daylight between us. Enda commented after that as the game went on it was clear there would only be one winner. I didn’t think it at the time but the score line of 0-7 to 1-2 backed up his conviction. We had all the running and on the day all the football.

As Eoin was doubling as manager for the B’s, I took over the captaincy for the day on his suggestion. It was my first time in a Belgian G.A.A. jersey and it was a great honour to lift the splendid Luxembourg cup on behalf of both our panels. On a given tournament day we are two panels but every other day of the year we train, socialise and look out for each other as one.

Both teams were successful on Saturday because of the heated battles which are acted out every night at training lately. No quarter given or asked. Poor Colin broke his nose last week and Collins told the rest to get on with it. We drive each other on all the time and I feel as part of the B team success as those lads who lined out for them on Saturday should feel of the A teams.

Benelux has been claimed. The first stage of the season complete. We’ll have a week off this week and then start our plotting for the Pan-Euros.

Final Benelux Round

I absolutely hate the week of a tournament trying to get the teams picked. This week we head to Luxembourg for the final round of the Benelux Championship, knowing a win will secure us the title. We have around 33 players available but not quite enough for three teams. This means we have two bumper squads and no certainties that we can offer fellas sufficient game time if they make the long journey. There was a temptation to go for a third team but some guys have commitments in Brussels which need tending to so it’s better to let them focus on those.

Opportunities to step up to the A panel have been created by the fact a couple of lads are missing from the last day. In addition, recent trainings and particularly last weekend’s game against Crokes, have allowed lads audition for promotion and some took the opportunity with both hands. We have the panel capped at 15 so there won’t be room in the Inn for everyone, which means some lads that are good enough, will just have to bide their time a little longer, as frustrating as it is.

There could be an argument to split the teams down the middle again (as we did last week) but I’ve been fairly headstrong on this. We’ve won two of three this year but one of those was after extra-time and in the other, we only pulled away towards the end. In that sense, I don’t think we have the strength to split the teams and still win it out. Also, with the Nations Cup falling away, we may not get competitive action again until Munich in September and we may have a totally different team by then.

As I said in the hurling blog a couple of weeks ago, we have to make the most of every opportunity to win tournaments because we saw last year how things can get when success dries up. Who knows what’s around the corner and how the movement of players in and out of clubs will affect the competition.

The Luxembourg Tournament has alluded us to date and in fact has alluded most. I think the hosts have won it something like ten years in a row. With that in mind we expect their challenge to be significant and of course there is the usual threat of Den Haag. They'll be hurting big time and will be out for revenge. Add to that the new and unknown quantity of Frankfurt and you have an interesting day in store.

We are split from our Ladies this weekend as they head to Paris for their competition. Our success has been strongly linked with each others support this year so it’s a blow that we won’t be there to roar each other on this weekend. Hopefully we will both have success and the cups will be brought back in time for Caragh O’Connor’s 30th birthday party on Saturday night.

Fortress Parc50 Stands Firm

They used say Loughnane would lock the gates in Cusack Park in Ennis, put the whistle in the pocket and throw the sliotar in and let the Clare boys flake away in hotly contested A v B games back in the late nineties. More recently the same stories emanate from Nowlan Park in Kilkenny. If you've grown up playing in small clubs with tight panels you can't imagine how they realise this type of intensity because the pool of players just doesn't allow it. However, we saw such a battle first hand in Parc50 on Saturday as both Belgium teams qualified for the final of our mini-tournament with Kilmacud Crokes.

From the moment Rochey tossed the ball into the air to signal the start of the game, savage battles were played out in each section of the pitch. The game was decided when Eoin Sheanon plucked the ball out of the sky. Myself and Crusher decided against contesting the aerial battle but when he landed we made our move. Allegedly a couple of fists flew through the dust cloud and when it settled ref Rochey made the crucial call, deciding Eoin was more wronged against than wrong. I thought a hop ball would have been sufficient but he disagreed and David Collins kicked the score to give his side a 0-9 to 0-8 victory in a truly competitive contest.

It was a simple decision last week to split the teams straight down the middle and make two even teams (Belgium and Brussels). We've been banging on about the depth of the panel and this was a good opportunity to show it. Still, it was a brave move to walk the talk as we are very proud of our undefeated record in Parc50. Na Fianna, Peregrines, Clare Island, Roger Casements and Tir Connail Gaels have all come and been conquered but always by showing our strongest hand. My team, Brussels, won the opening battle against Belgium by a handful of goals. The Belgium team had a dishevelled look about it and was run ragged by Timmy and Diarmuid in particular. However, the introduction of Pearce in the second half sparked them into life as he led his team back into respectability with three excellently taken points. It wasn't enough though and Belgium faced a make or break tie against Kilmacud Crokes in the second group game.

Crokes had travelled with a few injuries so their panel was fairly tight. They only landed a few hours before the game and whilst it may not seem ideal preparation, it beats the 12 hours drinking most visiting teams have under their belts before we play. The game was end to end with some excellent scores and marvelous workrate from the Belgium lads. To be honest, I don't remember so much of the detail as i was hiding in the shade from the 30 degree heat for most of it. Collins hoovered up a fair last of ball though and Pearce continued to excel. It was he who, with his side looking like it may fade away, popped up with a mighty goal to give his team the lead as the game drew to a close. They held it and won out on a score of something like 1-15 to 1-14.

The result meant as long as Brussels avoided defeat against Crokes then we would have a Belgium/Brussels final. We were very motivated on ensuring this happened, realising the benefit a successful day would have for all, heading into the final Benelux round next weekend in Luxembourg. We started well but let some easy chances go begging. Crokes were adapting to the tight pitch and the nuances of the 11-a-side game and it was reflected in their improved play. Still, John Harkin and Crusher were solid at the back and myself and Hudson were doing our best to stretch their legs by going forward. We trailed by a couple of points with time virtually up but a sweeping move up the field yielded a Michael Hough goal on the rebound, giving us the win and thus securing the final we all wanted.

The heat was becoming unbearable and with a quick turnaround for the final, our Brussels team had little time to take cover. Keary and Ruairi were sidelined with injury so reinforcements were needed and came in the form of a Clare giant, Liam Kelly. We had another defection in the form of Hudson who wandered off, as only he can do, to go and get cans in the shop!! He returned midway through the first half. We knew we'd be up against it as the Belgium team had knocked off the cobwebs during the day and found their top gear against Crokes. They also had the addition of David Collins, a late transfer from the Brussels squad.

What ensued was a fantastic battle with commitment rising to levels which we thought only Den Haag could provoke out of us. I made a couple of early raids into opposition territory only to be bounced around their half back line by The Fridge (formerly known as Martin Brennan) and Bull. Rochey was doing his best to ref the game in difficult circumstances. Indeed it was some indiscipline on our behalf that led to Belgium building up their score with placed balls. Timmy continued to work like a dog for us but the energy was fading. Jim picked up a dead leg and Diarmuid started to cramp up. They kept plugging away but defences were in miserly mood with barely a sniff of a goal at either end. In the end it was the incident with Eoin which led to the decisive score.

When Rochey blew the final whistle, the frayed relations which occurred during the game were forgotten and we were unified by the satisfaction gained from the effort exerted. It bodes well for the inter-club league which should get under way in the coming weeks. The intensity is superb at the moment and carried through to training on Monday night even if it did result in Collie Byrne breaking his nose and a host of other minor disputes breaking out.

Naturally, when the football finished on Saturday, a drinking session broke out downtown for the weekend. Special mentions go to Diarmuid’s Dad, David Collins’ shirt, Crusher for going AWOL late on, Brendan for keeping his first clean sheet, Moe from Crokes for falling asleep in a doorway with pint of Guinness in hand, the iron, The Mad Bar, everyone that drank O’Reillys out of its supply of Vedett, Ollie for sticking with The Fresh Prince tune without any encouragement and the Crokes lads for being such a good bunch of lads. Hopefully we can repeat the antics back in Dublin sometime next year.

All-Ireland Club Champions Come to Brussels

Tomorrow we welcome All-Ireland Club champions Kilmacud Crokes to the fortress that is Parc50. We’re always trying to get teams over to fill our calended and give guys more reason to want to play so this will be a useful exercise.

Naturally we don’t expect their Senior team but they will be bringing over one of their successful Junior teams. We’ll have two teams and will split them down the middle. As I’ve said in previous blogs, there is a big strong panel there so I’d expect both our teams to be competitive tomorrow.

With three teams, we’ll play a mini tournament with group games and the top two playing in a final. The weather here is savage at the moment and we’re expecting mid twenties tomorrow. Once the football is done with, we’ll be heading down to O’Reillys and from there we’ll take out guests on a tour of the finest pubs Brussels has to offer.

On Sunday, we have a BBQ arranged in the Michael Collins so the merriment will continue from 18 there. All in all it should be a great weekend so if you are in town, get down to Parc50 tomorrow to see a bit of the action.